


Shiritori

by pretense, tick_tocked



Category: DRAMAtical Murder - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, M/M, Noiz Week, all the aus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-10
Updated: 2015-06-10
Packaged: 2018-04-03 18:39:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4111039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pretense/pseuds/pretense, https://archiveofourown.org/users/tick_tocked/pseuds/tick_tocked
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three stories, two people, one unbreakable bond.<br/>[Made for Noiz Week Day 4: Alternate Universe / AU]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shiritori

**[1]**

**Jaeger Maintenance Deck.**  
For authorized personnel only.  
[9:45am]

 

"Found you, you lil shit!"

Koujaku's smirk is triumphant as he strides over to the brothers. Mizuki trails behind his partner, already looking worried for what was to come.

Theo gives Benihime's pilots a polite smile while his brother merely raises one defiant eyebrow at the enthusiastic Japanese. Koujaku was always worked up over one thing or another and Noiz made it his life mission to be that 'one thing'.

The dark-haired man shoves a rather thick book in Noiz' face. The words 'Japanese - English - German Dictionary' were faded but still discernible.

"Now I'll know _exactly_ what you're saying!"

The blond merely laughs at the display.

"You didn't need to dig for an old cruddy book, old man. I can speak Japanese just fine."

Koujaku's grin falls, replaced by a look of dawning horror. He stares at Noiz, then at Mizuki, then at Theo, before rounding back to the cocky co-pilot of the behemoth Raurackl.

"Did he just - - _Did you just speak Japanese, you bastard??"_

After three weeks of being ignored and insulted in a language he barely understood (at least he was convinced they were insults), the dark-haired man finally reaches his breaking point.

Koujaku advances on the German much like a Kaiju approaching the Tokyo Tower, his steps deliberately slow as his eyes burned with rage. He would have throttled Noiz right then and there if he wasn't holding that damn book in the first place. Plus he'd rather not get chewed out by Mink for yet another infarction. Mizuki's nagging after a particularly bad fight was horrible enough.

Noiz merely shrugged at the red-faced pilot, that trademark shit-eating grin still on his face.

"You never **asked**."

\--

 

**[2]**

**Asking** questions had always been Noiz' forte. He was the so-called 'information maniac' after all and the best way to get what he wanted was to ask the right questions in the proper time. Of course, he can always use that same thirst for knowledge to completely and utterly ruin someone's day.

"Is that really how firebenders pose? I thought you were supposed to look manlier. And what's with the weird grunting? Do all firebenders do that or is that your special thing?"

The telltale twitch of Koujaku's eyebrows was the only warning Noiz had before a fireball came his way. Thankfully his reflexes were still as quick as ever, a thick wall of hardened earth immediately blocking the flames. He smirks as the dark-haired male throws another blast his way, countering that attack with one of his own. Boulders hover before surging forward with incredible speed, missing their target by mere millimeters. It was unfortunate that they were nowhere near a mud bank. The last time Noiz mudbended Koujaku, the firebender practically turned into a monster as his 'precious hair' was soiled. It was an incredibly entertaining show that ended in Koujaku pinning him to the ground and forcing another kind of 'discipline' into him.

"Point.”

Noiz blinks, Koujaku’s fist a mere few inches from his face. The blond wasn’t usually this distracted by his thoughts and the surprise took a couple of minutes to process before he sends the older man stumbling back with another wall of hardened earth.

The firebender laughs, his earlier irritation forgotten at finally managing to one-up the snarky blond.

“Where’d your teasing go, brat? Lost it like your marbles?”

“I don’t think I’m the right person to ask about your marbles, old man. Your family jewels on the other hand- -“

The blond smirks after narrowly avoiding another fire blast. Koujaku really was too predictable for his own **good**.

\--

 

**[3]**

“ **Good** bye, sanity.”

“Not like you had it in the first place.”

Noiz easily dodges a dirty rag thrown his way, followed by several brushes and a tube of dried out paint. He really should know better than to rile Koujaku up while they were in the studio but his wit must have missed the memo.

And anyway, he just couldn’t understand why the old man was so upset. Koujaku was on a roll for the past few weeks, finishing one painting after another while Noiz was shut out of the studio so technically, the blond should be the one getting upset over being ignored. 

And yet here he was, checking up on the cranky artist after receiving clearly distraught messages like ‘the muses have left me’ and ‘my life no longer has purpose’.

“I don’t understand…”

Koujaku wails before slumping in the corner of his studio. The dimmed lights only added to the entire drama of the situation (although Noiz would say that the old man probably forgot where the dimmer switch was again).

The blond walks over to a particularly large work, bold lines overlapping in vague imitation of a highway at midnight. Streaks of yellows, oranges, and reds stand out of a blue-gray background, the pure energy of its central image slowly diffused by a calming display of stars painted above. The imagery felt familiar to Noiz. Maybe it was inspired by one of their cross-country trips? Koujaku often insisted on driving wherever they went. Something about the smell of rubber and the thrill of the open road (despite the fact that they would often get stuck in traffic for at least two hours no matter where they planned to go.)  

“Well then that’s your problem.” Noiz approaches the painter, peering down at that now-confused face.

“What? What do you mean - -?”

“I mean if you don’t understand then stop trying to and just do it.”

Noiz picks up a discarded palette, poking at the still-wet paint before pressing his finger on to Koujaku’s cheek, the red paint standing out on tan skin like a scorching hot brand.

“Noiz, it’s not that easy- -“

“Shut up.”

The blond continues his work, gaze uncommonly serious as he covers half of Koujaku’s face in arcs and curves, lines and dots.

“Noiz, what are you doing.”

“Canvasses shouldn’t talk.”

“Noiz- -“

A red-covered finger lands on Koujaku’s lips, pressing them together in a definite reprimand before the blond leans in, sharing the pigment between them with a quick kiss.

Koujaku can only stare in awe and incomprehension at his lover, the splotch of red on the blond's lips standing out like a tease, a bright ribbon waiting to be undone. Noiz was and continues to be an enigma, the biggest puzzle in the dark-haired man’s life. He might never be able to understand everything about him but that was just fine. Koujaku would gladly spend his entire life chasing him down and figuring him out.

Noiz hums quietly as he curiously licks away the traces of red on his lips. The somewhat erotic display startles Koujaku out of his stupor, his awed expression quickly turning into alarm.

“That paint might be toxic, you **idiot**!”

\--

 

 **Idiot/Idiots:** _ˈ/idēət/ ˈ/idēəts/_

-          Fools (in love)

-          Koujaku and Noiz

**Author's Note:**

> 'Shiritori' is a Japanese word game where players are required to say a word which begins with the final 'kana' of the previous word. It's basically another fancy term for a word chain game. I tried to use this theme with the story/stories as emphasized by the highlighted words.  
> //insert fancy jazz hands here//
> 
> [1] : Pacific Rim!AU  
> [2] : Avatar the Last Airbender!AU  
> [3] : (that infamous) Soulmates!AU
> 
> A big 'thank you' to Ai for being the beansprout to my old man ♥


End file.
